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Miracle
A Miracle, or act of god, is a conscious action that supercedes at least one law of the universe. This is in contrast to magic, which, while appearing to be miraculous, is still subject to all laws of the universe, whether physical or metaphysical. As such, by that standard, a miracle can also be something called "the impossible". This also contrasts with data manipulation, which doesn't really do "the impossible", as it does hack the laws of the universe so that certain miraculous-seeming things become "possible" for a short amount of time. Mechanism A miracle is capable of superceding the laws of the universe by its very nature. This is because a miracle is powered by Grain, the power of Law, which flows out from the Dreaming God and into the natural gods. Thanks to this power, it is easily possible to write one's own rules and impose them upon reality. This method does not alert the Dreams into action, however, because they recognise the natural gods as being above the system, and thus, being in the same 'realm' as themselves. Hence they supercede, rather than violate. The very movements of the natural gods are little miracles in themselves. The natural gods move according to their own will, rather than some mechanism or law within the universe that provides them with locomotion. This means that a natural god will be able to take a comfortable stroll on the surface of a planet with ten times the gravity of Paraiso. This also means that they can fly without wings, walk on water, swim through solid rock, and outright even ignore the distance between two points. The process of a miracle itself, however, is not a hundred percent efficient. Thus, the performance of a miracle produces ample amounts of Chaff as a leftover by-product. Since even the mere movements of a natural god are themselves a miracle, this means that simply walking from Point A to Point B leaves Chaff behind. The occurrence of a miracle is seen as a fortuitous event by not only the people who experience it, but any magi who happen to have a chaff siphon set up nearby. This is because of the Chaff that is produced by the miracle, thus leaving behind a fresh pool of fuel for magical spells. It should be noted that this is not because of a flaw in the mechanics, but rather because of most natural gods' lack of concern for efficiency. Indeed, this practise is so prevalent that Eden created mortals with a natural metaphysical component that can be used to cleanse the universe of this background waste by converting it into physical energy. Not all natural gods lack a concern for efficiency, however. Due to being trapped in mortal form, Allein Tyamát must ration her limited supply of grain, which has been almost completely cut off from its source. Qualifications It is quite safe to say that only natural gods are capable of miracles, as per the above definition. Servitors are capable of small miracles as well, but nowhere near the level of their masters. Nevertheless, merely being able to access Grain is enough to make a Servitor superior to a dependent god in every single way. Dependent gods, as finite beings born from the shaping of Chaff, do not have access to Grain, and therefore cannot perform miracles. Instead, their powers amount to a form of magic that stretches the limitations of magic as imposed by the laws of the universe. Known as Greater Magic, this power is available to a dependent god by default because of the mortal belief that gods can perform miracles. The god's power, however, stemming from chaff, cannot perform miracles. As a form of compensation, their powers, which stand on top of the scale of magical potential, would easily put a sect of seasoned magi to shame. Thus, Greater Magic should never be underestimated. This is punctuated by the fact that only aged sects of at least a thousand years can develop their magic to this level. In summation, miracles differ from magic in the following respects, which marks them as polar opposites: * Magic abides by the laws of the universe, Miracles are unhampered by them. * Magic consumes Chaff, Miracles consume Grain, and in the process, produce Chaff. * Magic is a learned and unnatural skill passed down along the generations of magi, Miracles are instinctive and natural abilities native to gods As a natural goddess, Allein Tyamat is capable of miracles. Her fires are created through sheer will alone, without the processing of Chaff through a Kolna System. Indeed, as she was not born mortal, Allein's body is completely devoid of Kolna's Organs. However, due to the limitations of her Grain supply brought about by her de-powering to human levels, Allein must use her miracles sparingly, reserving them only for battle. As such, she has learned to move according to what reality allows, rather than relying on miracles to do so. See also *Magic *Data Manipulation Category:Magic Category:Metaphysics